


Contingency

by ladyjax



Category: Sense8 (TV)
Genre: Cluster mark, Conflict of Interests, F/F, Female Character of Color, LGBTQ Female Character of Color, Post-Series, Resolution, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 07:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16214399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax
Summary: After everything, Amanita makes a choice and has to deal with the consequences.





	Contingency

**Author's Note:**

> I read through your letter and thought about some of what you spoke of, especially about conflict between Amanita and Nomi. This is what came up.
> 
> Soul marks are common in this scenario but I also envisioned that there is also a cluster specific mark that looks like a [Lichetenberg figure](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichtenberg_figure) on the skin and wraps around and integrates an existing soul mark.

They met at the Tadich Grill one rare, rainy Thursday afternoon. He was already up and out of the booth, old style habit overriding lingering hesitation.  Amanita slid on to the leather bench and allowed herself a tiny thrill of satisfaction at Lawrence’s raised eyebrows.  The chic wide legged pantsuit and somewhat subdued extensions are a far cry from her usual get up but Amanita knew that dressing for the part she was playing never hurt.

“ How are you?” he asked, taking his own seat.

Amanita felt a slight warmth beneath her right breast and her thoughts turn ed to Nomi.  “I’m well,” she  said . “Thanks for meeting me.”

When their waiter stopped at the table, Lawrence waited as she ordered. “Vodka cranberry, please. Heavy on the vodka.” 

Lawrence nodded with some satisfaction.  “Fortifying.”

“ Or foolish,” Amanita  offered.

The restaurant is wood paneling, white tablecloths, and ghosts; old in a city that lurches inelegantly along the tides of change.  Men like Lawrence always had a seat at these tables. It suited Amanita’s purposes to have this meeting here.

Digging around in her tote, she pulled out a thick, legal sized envelope and placed it on the table just as the waiter returns with her drink.  Once he’s gone, Amanita pushed the envelope towards Lawrence. She sips her cocktail as Lawrence opens it and pulls out a file folder.

“ This is,” he beg an slowly, his eyes  flicking up to meet hers .

“ Everything we have on BPO,” Amanita  replied .  “Hard copy and digital. There’s a flash drive in there as well.”

Lawrence turn ed his attention back to the file, fingers tapping the tumbler of scotch in front of him as he reads.  She  guessed  when he hit certain points; his lips thin ned  and his breath dr ew in. It’s on the tip of her tongue to ask how it fe lt to know that his  own  soul mate almost had their eldest child – the freaky, wonderful child that neither of them didn’t fucking get – lobotomized into what she thought was normal.

Let him stew on it, Amanita thought. Her soul line warmed and she cut back on the connection as much as she could without making Nomi worry. 

When he finished, Lawrence put the file back in the envelope and downed his scotch in one go.  This time, when he looked at her, she saw the man whose name was on the door of one of the most prestigious law firms in the city.

“What do you want from me?” His tone was brisk and to the point.

“ I don’t care what BPO says about reforming and becoming better. Someone, and by that, I mean you, needs to know what happened  and how. ”

Lawrence folded his hands on the table.  “You don’t trust them.”

“ Fuck no,” Amanita scoffed.  “Anyone who got in their way were acceptable losses. You’re the only person I know who might possibly have enough juice to do something about it if things go south.”

“ And Nomi? The others? Do they know you’re meeting me?”

Amanita’s answer  wa s to finish her cocktail entirely too quickly, the burn of the extra vodka making her gasp.

When the waiter c ame by again, Lawrence  made a circular motion with one finger. “Another round, Vincent.”

**

“I still can’t believe you went behind my back and talked to my father about this.”

The deep well of Nomi’s anger thrummed across their bond, the cluster’s lightning marks tingled against her skin. 

“I know.” Amanita replied for what felt like the hundredth time.  She chanced a look at her wife who sat stiffly in the passenger seat of their rental car, her eyes fixed on a point in the distance. The subsequent fight they’d had after Amanita told Nomi what she’d done left both of them feeling like something would break irrevocably on the back of the wrong word. The discomfort followed them like an angry storm cloud as Amanita drove them over the Bay Bridge to her dads’ house near the Oakland Zoo. 

Post-wedding brownie high not withstanding, the  pair were still in the getting to know you stage of their relationship with Nomi’s parents.  Going to Lawrence without telling Nomi or anyone else put them into unknown territory.

They pulled up just as Devon was walking around the house, gardening tools in hand. “There’s my girls!” he called out.  Nomi  was out of the car first, giving him a quick hug and kiss before striding into the house. Devon’s eyebrows went a touch higher as  Amanita  trailed behind.

“ Trouble, dearest?” he asked gently, his arm around her shoulders. 

“ Yeah ,” Amanita said, a little sad. “ Just a bit.”

**

“ Are you going tell me what’s wrong or do I need to sick Paul on you?”

Leroy looked over his glasses at his daughter  in law , one hand on his hip, the other holding a spoon.  Nomi gave a tight smile and sighed. 

“ You might want to finish giving that a stir.”

“ Oh, yes, right.” He stirred the chili once, tasted it, then tossed in more red pepper flakes before putting the top back on. “Now, what is it?”

“ Amanita did something without discussing it with me first and it was kind of important .”

“ Okay.  What was it? ”

Nomi folded her arms across her chest, a tendril of hair from her bun sliding across her cheek. “She made a copy of all the information we had on BPO and gave it to my father.”

Leroy looked at her  and said, “Now you know that I’m still not sure I understand everything involved with that group. Or even you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But I also know that as impulsive as my girl is, she’s always has a reason for what she does.” He put aside his spoon and st epped around the kitchen island.  When he opened his arms Nomi stepped in for a hug. 

“I also know that you two always work to understand each other.” Nomi nodded, resting her head on his shoulder.

Paul walked in. “What is going on? Devon is in the garden with ‘Nita and the two of you are in here. Long faces everywhere I look.” He looked from one to the other and sighed. “You two, c’mon.”

**

“We got back from Paris and everything was better and I still couldn’t stop looking over my shoulder,”

Amanita stated. She and Nomi and the dads had arrayed themselves around the garden table. As she spoke, Nomi reached out and slid her hand beneath hers.

“I know it’s crazy. I mean, we just busted a multinational corporation that had been hunting down people for decades. I couldn’t shake the feeling like it could all go away again, accord or no accord.”

She breathed out and tightened her hand over Nomi’s.

“I called Lawrence a couple of days ago to set up the meeting and I gave him everything because I wanted a back-up plan.” The remaining words came out in a rush. “I don’t want to lose you. I almost did once and I’d make a bargain with the devil it meant I’d keep you safe.”

Nomi sucked in a breath. “Neets?” She swiftly shut down the inquires from the cluster and tugged Amanita’s hand so she could face her wife fully. “You couldn’t just tell me that?”

A manita gave a watery laugh and swiped at her eyes with her free hand. “Yeah, well, sometimes I’m not always good with the words. I know it’s half-assed as plans go.”

“Sweetheart,” Nomi replied, finally grabbing Amanita’s hands and holding on, the soul line surging on her skin. “You’re banking on my dad giving a shit.”

“ Damn right, I am,” Amanita replied her voice cracking. “ I’m sorry.” 

Devon said, “Relationships are built on trust, not just lo ve sugar. We taught you that.”

“Yes, pop.”  Amanita replied. She brought Nomi’s hand to her lips and kissed it. 

“ For what it’s worth, Will agrees with you.” Nomi grumbled. “ So we should expect to have a conference call with everybody sometime in the near future.”

“ You two get to talking ,” Leroy  said, getting up from the table.  “ Dinner’s in 30. Oh, and you might also want to see about getting us a copy of that file.”

“ Um, are you sure?” Nomi looked at the dads with some trepidation. “It’s a lot and it’s kind of messy.”

“We know how to make a fuss in some places. Your daddy isn’t the only one with some juice, young lady,” Paul replied with a raised eyebrow. “Amanita, I’ll leave it to you if you want to tell your mother.”

Amanita groaned. 

**

Monday morning found Lawrence in his office, standing in front of the window that gave him one of the better views of the Embarcadero.

The file was stored in his personal safe. He’d read it multiple times over the weekend, the realization of the magnitude of the forces that Nomi and her friends had faced sat like a stone in his gut.

He pulled out his cell and dialled a number.

“ Good morning, Amanita. Yes, yes, I’m fine. I was wondering if you and Nomi are free some time this week for lunch.”

 


End file.
